here are some random thoughts I had while I played through SoA and ToB recently. Though many of them are about SoA, since I played it with ToB installed, they belong to the ToB fourm I guess. I always play with core rules and never install any mod or improved version (I'm an "amateur" compared to many of the old hands here who can handle the Insane level, improved mod and tactics etc. ^_^ I'm wondering is there other amateur here???)

anyway...

*HLA in SoA...it's neat to see Jaheira summon Fallen Deva and my PC doing greater whirlwind in Chapter Six, life is sweet, but it makes some tough battles in original SoA too easy. The Twisted Rune...Fallen Deva simply SLAUGHTERs Shangalar and Layene mercilessly; so goes the same with fighting Firkraag...she's not affected by big Red's windbuff! stay with the dragon all the time while my party closing in.

*taking on the unseeing eye quest in chapter 2 is till very, very tough...the strategy works for me this time is skull trap. send Edwin to set 5 (or 6) skull traps and my PC (death ward, protected from petrification) and some summons to lure Beholders out to the traps. and I still cannot get pass the Beholder city in the underdark without the cloak of mirroring/chesse...I HATE beholders!!!

*Mazzy...it seems to me that not many people use her as a regular NPC in the party, but she is my right-hand fighter this time around! I let her dual wield Sword of Mask and cut throat (later with Daggar of the star), with +++++ proficient in short sword and great whirlwind, she's great. and Sword of Mask is my favorite weapon...level drained those monsters!!! Mazzy is able to level drain most monsters except for Melissan in the end. Though I don't know how much this level drained thing would affect those monsters, it's just fun to read the feedback: Demongorgon one level drained...Demi-lich one level drained, Abazigal one level drained...etc...with greater whirlwind, sometimes, monsters would be drained 2-4 levels in a hurry^^ also, the entangled effect can slow down monsters. I wonder that's why the demi-lich in Watcher's Keep beans out imprisonment slower this time? I have Mazzy take out Fallen Solar one on one in the throne of bhaal...

*still need the green scroll of protection from magic to beat Kangaxx...no fun at all...what demi-lich would be if imprisonment is taken from it???

*kill Cowled Wizards for spite! now...it really makes me angry when everyone but us can use magic outdoor in Athkatla (especially this time the Reviane incident in the Jaheira quest is trigged in Athkatla and my rep. is 15 at the time...I have to fight those magic casting harpers straight!) so when I came back in Ch. 6, after taking care of Bodhi, I just cast magic in the entrance of bridge district (a restricted area that the battle will not harm the innocents) on purpose to lure Cowled Wizards out and kill them...until they will not show up again.

*the most annoying thing is still facing those level draining monsters...so it's sweet to see their "ghosts" rise up after Edwin cast death spell on them (the weaker Vampires will die instantly this way, and so in the first vampire fight in Ch 6, all of those vampires, like 5-6 of them, died instantly with one death spell). Another annoying thing is the "suddenly appeared enemies"...like the monks and Balthazar's footsoldiers in Amkethrana, they just appear!

*lastly, a question, how do they measure the "most powerful vanquished" in the information section? based on the XP for killing a monster? I have this question is because it seems to me, Bodhi is the "most powerful"! killing her gets 91000 points! I once had one character finish off Firkraag, Draconis, Kangaxx and Bodhi, but in the end, Bodhi is still the most powerful being vanquished...she is not that tough!!!


that's all for now ^_*

-Well, you might use a bigger party to avoid having HLA's until ToB, I think it is VERY hard to get one if you have a 6 char party.

-Beholders are about the toughest enemies there are in my book. They have always-hitting rays such as cause wounds that is just too painful... I guess having good summons works. Maybe Mordenkainen's sword.
(I msut admit, I never really fought beholders without Shield of Balduran:D)

-Mazzy seems good to me, as soon as I meet her, I'm taking her this game I'm currently playing.

-Berserkers have an enrage that makes them immune to it, you could use Spell Immunit: Abjuration on one of your mages.. There are not many ways of avoiding Imprisonment, I think that spell takes fun out of the game so I usually use that scroll yes.

-The rules ARE unfair, just with the amges being able to have a 10-spell contingency. But you could go to the Government District and pay 5000 GP

-Use Amulet of Power on a tank ;)

-Bodhi gets worth that XP when you use Improved Bodhi, else she is indeed not much harder than, let's say, two skeleton warriors? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I tend to crank up the difficulty after I get HLAs, otherwise, yeah, it can be easy, though I tend to get most of my (big party) HLAs in Suldanesselar, which feels about right

Shield of Balduran, some spell immunities. They're tough but they're supposed to be.

Come ToB, she's one of the best NPC fighter types. If you hook her up with a girdle of giant strength, she has some of the best fighter stats (ST,DX,CN) in the game, and only two other NPCs can grandmaster in a weapon.

Never used one. Staying on top of him and strategic retreats/turn undead etc worked for me most of the time. My Wizard Slayer (solo) just beat him into pulp. :D
Best way to deal with them :D

Amulet of Power, but yes, it is a royal PITA to get yourself level drained. Death spell is fun :D

It's all for XP. Bodhi tips the scales cuz she gives 91000 as more of a quest reward. [img]smile.gif[/img]

hey, JrKASperov,

I did have a 6 characters party throughout, except for when the plot demands my NPCs to leave (like Jaheira and Jan). Maybe I just did too many quests~~

I love Amulet of Power, but my main fighters cannot equip it, and so it's always Jaheira upfront fighting those level draining things...

I've heard that the imporved Bodhi is sorta "out of this world" tough...so guess I should consider myself lucky getting the improved Bodhi XP while killing the regular one^_*

hey, True_Moose,

about Mazzy,

Before entering the last part of ToB, I have Girdle of Fire Giant Strength on her, along with Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization, and Boots of Speed; dual wield Short sword of Mask +5 and Dagger of the Star +5.
ST: 22, DX: 18, CN: 16. Base THAC0: -1, Main hand: -12, Off hand: -9

she is a killer^_*

Equipping Jaheira with that amulet is good, cause she can get to be a REALLY good tank with a shield and a scimitar/club. I used Blackblood in one game, she was deadly pared with her buff spells! :D